Herbs with tuberous rhizome or corm covered with membranous or fibrous sheaths. Leaves usually all basal, often with long hairs. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, mostly white or yellow, solitary, or in spicate, racemose or subumbellate inflorescences; segments 6, subequal, free or basally connate. Stamens usually 6, inserted at base of perianth-segments; anthers often 2-lobed at base, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary inferior, 3-locular; ovules usually many, in 2 series on axile placenta in each locule. Fruit usually a capsule crowned by persistent perianth; dehiscence by irregular, often ± circular slits; fruit occasionally fleshy and indehiscent. Seeds small, often black. Five genera (as treated by Hutchinson), mainly S. Hemisphere and tropical Asia.

Fls bisexual, actinomorphic, solitary, or in spicate, racemose or subumbellate infls. Per. mostly white or yellow; segs 6, subequal, free or basally connate. Stamens us. 6, inserted at base of per.-segs; anthers often 2-lobed at base, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary inferior, 3-locular; ovules us. ∞, in 2 series on axile placenta in each locule. Fr. us. a capsule crowned by persistent per.; dehiscence by irregular, often ± circular slits; fr. occ. fleshy and indehiscent. Seeds small, often black, with distinct hilum and abundant endosperm. Herbs with tuberous rhizome or corm covered with membr. or fibrous sheaths. Lvs us. all radical, often with long hairs. Five genera (as treated by Hutchinson), mainly S. Hemisphere and tropical Asia.